1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to excavating equipment and more particularly to a device which is easily attached to a conventional hydraulic boom structure having a power-driven winch cable to convert the boom structure into either an excavating shovel or back hoe.
2. Description of the Prior Art and Objects
Applicant is unaware of any excavating device which can be quickly and easily attached to a conventional hydraulic boom structure capable of being raised, lowered, extended, retracted and rotated and having a power-driven winch cable to thereby transform the boom structure into, in one mode of attachment of the device, a shovel driven by the winch cable and into, in another mode of attachment of the device, a back hoe driven by the winch cable.
The excavating devices of which applicant is aware are entire machines specifically designed to perform only the function of digging earth away from the machine as a shovel or toward the machine as a back hoe. These specifically designed machines are costly and complex in that most have one or more hydraulic operating pistons and associated linkage mechanisms, hydraulic connecting lines, pumps and control valving for operating the bucket. They are not suitable for use on jobs where only a small amount or occasional shovel or back hoe digging is required due to the substantial monetary investment involved and oftentimes the necessity of having personnel trained specifically in its operation.
It is, therefore, the primary object of the present invention to provide an excavating device which can be easily attached to a conventional hydraulically operated boom structure having a power winch cable to convert said boom structure into an excavating machine.
It is another object of the invention to provide an excavating device which can be attached to a boom structure in two modes: one mode of which converts the boom structure into a shovel and in another mode of which the boom structure is converted into a back hoe.
It is a further object of the invention to provide an excavating device having a digging bucket which relies for its entire operation on the winch cable associated with a boom structure.
It is a still further object of the invention to provide an excavating device which is simple in construction, not expensive to manufacture, and which can be quickly installed on and removed from an ordinary hydraulically operated boom structure having a power winch cable.
Yet another object of the invention is to provide an excavating device which is compact and operates close to the boom structure resulting in greater stability and support.